


Purple Carrot

by Ilya_Faina



Series: Keeper of my Heart [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22243942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilya_Faina/pseuds/Ilya_Faina
Summary: Grinning from ear to ear, she asked, “Guess how many things I gathered this morning!”With a hint of a smile on those otherwise straight lips, the Captain indulged the Warrior. “How many?”“19 Frantoio’s, 25 Harcot’s, 35 Bright Flaxes, 9 Light Gerbera, 50 Lignum Vitae Log’s, 12 Tiger Lillies, 16 Lime Basil’s, some Peppermint, aaaaand… 50 Purple Carrots! Do you want some?” the Warrior panted out from how much she tried to get out in two puffs. Lyna didn’t know whether to be impressed by how much the Warrior gathered or by how quickly they spoke to get everything out. Or that they had somehow kept count.
Series: Keeper of my Heart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1601170
Kudos: 4





	Purple Carrot

**Author's Note:**

> This was started because of the FFXIV Write 2019 that happened back in September. Even though this was started weeks after the first prompt, I still decided to give it a try and see where it went. 
> 
> Seeing how this has been sitting in my Drive for months, I finally had the chance (and courage) to post it. Please go easy on me, this is my first time posting on this site and I haven't posted anything writing-wise in over 10 years :'D
> 
> Please enjoy my adorable little cat in the first prompt for FFXIV Write 2019, "Voracious".

“Purple carrot, purple carrot, purple, purple, purple carrot…”

A sing-song voice wavered through the violet trees. It was early enough in the day where no bystanders held up the Warrior of Darkness, making her voice come through even clearer. The sun was hitting just right where it peered through the trees rather than over the clear blue morning sky. The Warrior was grateful in having thought of wearing her poncho; the breeze would be appreciated at a later time.

Magenta locks lifted from her shoulders here and there from both her almost prancing in joy at being out and about as well as from the cool breeze.

She already had a list in mind of all that she needed to gather for the day. Purple carrots, lime basil, bog sage, and frantoio. The light rumble of her stomach mixed in with her hummin as she peered around for some lush vegetation; she knew that she forgot something when she bounded away from the Crystarium the moment she awoke.

Shrugging her shoulders, she kept in mind to take a few bites out of her wares once she found them; it would not do if the famous Warrior of Darkness was found collapsed in the middle of a field in Lakeland.

‘Maybe I can gather a few other things too… I thought I saw some flowers around… It would make the room look lovely, and maybe I can give a few to Katliss…’

Despite her not being a crafter, she still did her best to provide whatever items were needed in the Crystarium. The citizens were all hard workers, but it didn’t hurt to help out a bit if one was able, right?

The sun started rising higher in the sky, letting the miqo’te know that she better find her nodes soon, else she would not only have to work in the blaring sun, but also haul her spoils with her clothes sticking to her.

Lean arms lifted the fabric quickly over her head, tossing it unceremoniously to the side. Taking a stance that would make any shrubbery shudder, she hacked away at the bush until it was short enough where it could grow again. She tossed the carrots into her bag, knowing well that the magicks in there would keep them together. She alternated in the items she harvested with each shrub she cut down, making up tunes as she went. She was so deep into her task that her jumping five feet into the air didn’t come as a surprise to the Captain “sneaking up” on her.

“Warrior, what a welcome surprise to see you up so early in the day.”

Quickly turning, her wide green eyes focused on the Viis calmly approaching her. Anela knew that the Captain would make her rounds close to the Crystarium while letting her other soldiers go farther from the roads. The miqo’te once questioned the hardened leader on her reasoning, merely out of curiosity. Thankfully, the Captain saw no malice in her inquiry, but still took her time to answer.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the Warrior. No, far from it… The Savior of the First saw her at her weakest, and despite her wounds, provided comfort in her own quiet way. Even though the Warrior was exhausted from that battle in Lakeland, she never once showed it, too busy leading in the battle and mending whomever she could find. She also offered Lyna some healing, but the Viis was far too wounded in other ways to accept. It wasn’t until Anela put her hand over Lyna’s that that made the Captain understand.

She didn’t realize how much smaller the mystel’s hand was. Height-wise, yes, mystels would always be smaller to a Viis, but with this one being the Warrior of Darkness, it didn’t matter how small they were. Their presence would always fill the entire room, no matter how much they tried to blend in with the crowd. They rarely had much to say, sticking close to the ones that she knew best, and if there was no one, they would leave ample space between them and the other party. This was one of the times where the Warrior breached the gap.

Statuses didn’t matter. Races didn’t matter. Gender didn’t matter. Roles didn’t matter.

What mattered is that they all needed each other. They needed to stick together and give each other all of the help that they could.

And the Warrior of Darkness was more than willing to provide that, just like how they always have.

What the Captain was not expecting was how unsteady the Warrior’s hand was. She could feel it tremble above hers, though Lyna felt the hand tense up here and there, most likely from trying to push back on her trembles. Upon closer inspection of the mystel, the hand wasn’t the only one that was showing vulnerability. Though eyes were cast down on their hands, Lyna saw how the green eyes did their best to stay focused. Once the Warrior grounded herself did her eyes slide up to meet the Viis pale pink ones.

_Let me help,_ was the silent plea in them. _Give me something else to focus on_ , they continued. While Lyna showed her physical vulnerability that moment, Anela showed her mental vulnerability that day. Even if Lyna’s body did from exhaustion, Anela did it as a way to show trust.

_Trust me._ The deeper they looked into Lyna’s, the steadier they got. Lyna wasn’t usually one to look away when just a piercing gaze was focused on her, but given the condition… There was much damage done to The Ostall Imperative. Too much. It would take weeks, if not months, to bring it back to its former glory, and even then, it would never be enough. The fort had taken hit after hit from the large amount of sin eaters they’ve had from the past few years. By the time they repaired certain parts, three more had to be repaired. It was a never-ending process, and nightmare.

But more than that...

...the amount of people that they just lost…

...how many bodies did they have to bury…? How many families did Lyna have to give the same news to…? For how long did she have to have a strong face, keep a strong stance, and stay composed through it all…?

She didn’t know the answer to all of that. The three things that she did know at the moment were:

She had done it for too long

She was tired of it

And the Warrior of Darkness wanted Lyna to lay some of her burdens to her

She understood what Lyna was going through. She knew how hard it was to stay strong; how much she had to ignore herself and give her all to others. She knew how it felt to lose those whom you had said “good morning” to. She knew how it felt when there was another empty seat at the table. She knew how it felt when that one person whom you changed rounds with was no longer there. She knew.

_Because_ she knew, Lyna bowed her head and let Anela do what she did best. The only acknowledgement that the Mystel gave of seeing Lyna’s tears was her grip tightening on the gloved hand.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

“Oh! Lyna! Good morning!” a wide smile was aimed at the Captain.

“Good morning, Warrior” came the Viis’s curt reply.

The Captain looked at Anela’s bag, seeing how slouched it was despite its contents being quite high. It was not a surprise to anyone how the Warrior liked to gather. No worries, no responsibilities, to just be able to enjoy nature and work hard with leisure. Yes, Lyna understood quite well how the activity could be considered therapeutic. Anela’s eyes followed the pink gaze and straightened up, putting her fisted hands on her hips from glee.

Grinning from ear to ear, she asked, “Guess how many things I gathered this morning!”

With a hint of a smile on those otherwise straight lips, the Captain indulged the Warrior. “How many?”

“19 Frantoio’s, 25 Harcot’s, 35 Bright Flaxes, 9 Light Gerbera, 50 Lignum Vitae Log’s, 12 Tiger Lillies, 16 Lime Basil’s, some Peppermint, aaaaand… 50 Purple Carrots! Do you want some?” the Warrior panted out from how much she tried to get out in two puffs. Lyna didn’t know whether to be impressed by how much the Warrior gathered or by how quickly they spoke to get everything out. Or that they had somehow kept count.

Putting a hand on her hip, the Captain couldn’t help but let her smile grow a smidge. Every time she saw the Warrior, she understood a bit better why the Exarch gave so much of himself for her. It was infectious.

“Always voracious when it comes to gathering… I assume that Qeshi-Rae asked you for these items…?”

“Kinda! She did, but as did Katliss and Eirikur. They said that because of how fast things are moving in the Crystarium, any ingredients that people could donate would be much appreciated. And I am more than willing to give them what they need and more,” the Warrior explained. The Viis nodded. Anyone with two eyes could see that many changes were happening in the crystal city, and more were to come. And for the better, hoped the Captain.

Anela could see that the Captain’s thoughts were beginning to wander down the dark path. She turned to her bag and rummaged around for a good-sized carrot. Stereotypes aside, she knew that the Captain had a few fruits and veggies that she favored, all thanks to the Exarch. How she managed to acquire said knowledge from the leader was a story for another time. She cleaned the carrot with some water and a clean rag, snapped it in half and extended it to the pensive Captain.

“Let me know how it tastes…?” offered the young woman. If she prompted Lyna with the right words, even she couldn’t turn down the food. It had taken her a while to get the Captain and her on terms that one would deem acquaintances, but she hoped that maybe, just maybe, there was a bit more in their relationship than that. Perhaps towards the road to friendship…

Lyna blinked twice at seeing the purple vegetable close to her belt. Pink eyes shifting from her piece to the Warrior’s, realizing that if she said no, she would be seen as rude. Plus, she had an inkling that the mystel had more than the amount that she stated in her bag. Grabbing said vegetable, she inspected it for a moment before giving it a quick chomp. Despite her best poker face, Anela knew that Lyna was enjoying every morsel from how slowly she chewed. She took that as a queue to also bite down into hers, doing her best to not stuff her face with it. She really should have eaten before leaving her room…

“Delicious, as always. You always seem to pick them right, Warrior.”

Anela couldn’t help but rub her nose from pride. “I’ll be sure to sneak some to your post so that you can have them as a snack.”

“That won’t be necessary. I am sure that there are other duties that will take you elsewhere. I must needs get back to my own. Be sure to keep yourself hydrated, Warrior. I wouldn’t want for there to be reports of someone finding the Warrior of Darkness dehydrated and unconscious in Lakeland.”

“I will. You stay hydrated too, Lyna. And don’t work too hard! Take a break at least once today.”

The Captain had already turned on her heel when the Warrior chimed in that last sentence. She continued to walk back to the main road when she looked over her shoulder to say her farewell to the Mystel.

“This was my break.”

Anela’s shoulders slumped at that and shook her head. Now she _definitely_ was going to sneak in some carrots for Lyna.

And without her knowing.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thank you! I really appreciate you giving this piece a chance. There will be more works coming, some that will detail my cat's adventures but most of my writing will be for my alt. I have several things already written for him, I just... need to get to... editing them x....x
> 
> Follow me on Twitter (@Anela_Fawn) and/or Tumblr (vividreminisce.tumblr.com). I reblog lots of goodies from other content creators from both FFXIV and other fandoms that are dear to me.
> 
> Thank you kindly and be well! :)


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